Sugar addict

Hello, Bitten!

I believe I am a sugar addict. When I eat sweet things and I cannot stop, I will eat until there is nothing left. I love everything sweet, but when I sometimes have restricted sweets I can control myself, but then comes that time of the month – PMS and all the control just seems impossible. From one day to the other it seems like I am a different person and these are the times I relapse (and also on vacations, so that’s why I am actually scared to go on vacations, especially if those two things happen at the same time). I have gone almost one year without sweets on a paleo diet and then I relapsed and for two years just could not get out of it again. Now I am on my second month of LCHF and just went through a bad PMS-craving week, I controlled it with dark chocolate, but I almost didn’t get through with that. Today is again the first good day but I am already scared about the next month.

But my question is – do you have any suggestions about PMS cravings, it’s so bad that I could run during a storm to the nearest shop and buy any sweet that they have, even something I don’t enjoy, if nothing else is there. Or maybe PMS cravings and sugar addiction have nothing to do with one and the other? I am 28 years old, 173 cm (5’6″) and 75 kg (165 lbs).

Thank you!
Agnese

Agnese,

They do trigger each other very much. I recommend that you read “Female brain gone insane” by Mia Lundin. It is a very good book that explains PMS and other hormonal rollercoasters. My advice is to stick to your meal plan, no dark chocolate, it can worsen the triggers. It is not only the sugar that triggers us, addicts, it is also an ingredient in cocoa called “anandamide” that can trigger us to go on a binge. When you feel the beginning of PMS, eat small meals every 2-3 hours those days in order to curb volatile blood sugar which is what happens. Do not forget coconut oil as a snack and if you take a tablespoon of glutamine powder in half a glass of water, it will curb cravings even more. Next time will be better.

Bitten

Cola Zero

Hi!

My husband has had great results on the low-carb diet and has lost 20 kg (45 lbs) since January. He is skinny now and do not need lose any more weight. He has problems staying on the diet or staying away from sweets, but he likes a daily can of Cola Zero (no carbs). Is Cola Zero bad for the body?

Kathrine

Kathrine,

Any sugar addict having anything with sweeteners may risk relapsing in the long run, so I advise against it. For me, it is a chemical :)

Say hi from me,
Bitten

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2 comments

Oh, Dr. Jonsson, I was afraid of that. I'm not sure if sugar-free drinks affect the body the way sweetened ones do, but I feel like our tongues can lie to our brains and bodies. And, as our friend up above said, once we taste 'sweet', we cannot stop. Ugh. Someday, I will be ornery enough to give up sugar-free beverages. Kathrine, I wish your hubby the best wishes; it sounds like he's really trying to do the right thing.

This 'strong recommendation' to avoid no-cal / artificially sweetened drinks is probably responsible for a lot of people giving up on diets such as those advanced by the diet doctor. They contribute to badly needed hydration and may keep users abiding by the other advice given on the programme. If you really want one - then I say -have one but keep it to one and stick to the rest of the diet. .